Improvement in locomotive and car steam-brakes



1:. SHE LLHORN. LOCOMOTIVE AND CAR STEAM BRAKES.

No.18 1,869. Patented Sept. 5,1876.

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N.ETF.RS. PHOTQ-LITHGGRAPHE WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIoE.

THOMAS J. SHELLHORN, OF MARQUETTE, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT lN 'LOCOMOTIVE AND CAR STEAM-BRAKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 181,869, datedSeptember 5, 1876; application filed February 28, 1876.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS J. SHEL HORN, ofMarquette, in the county of Marquette and State of Michigan, haveinvented a'new and Improved Locomotive and Car Brake, of which thefollowing is a specification: 7

Theaccompanying drawingrepresents asectional side elevation of myimproved brake mechanism as applied to the driving-wheels of alocomotive.

The object of my invention is to so improve the brake mechanism ofdriving-wheels of locomotives and of other revolving wheels that thefriction is applied and discontinued in a perfectly reliable manner, andthe strain thrown upon the tops insteadof upon the sides of theaxle-boxes. The brake may be readily adjusted to different weights of1000- motives and cars, so as to work smoothly and perfectly.

The invention will first be described in connection with drawing, andthen pointed out in the claim.

In the drawing, A represents a steam-cylinder, that is placed midwaybetween the driving-wheels of a locomotive or the wheels of a car-truck.The steam or other elastic fluid is admitted to the cylinder by a pipe,at, entering midway between the cylinder-heads, and actingsimultaneously upon two pistons, B, that are arranged symmetrically, inthe cylinder, and acted upon by volute springs B of considerable power.The steam-pipe a is carried up the boiler-head to the steamdome, and theadmission and exhaust of steam controlled by a threeway cock, or anyother mechanism equally adapted for this purpose.

The regulation of the exact pressure may be effected by means of apressure or pop valve, that is attached to the steam-pipe a.

A drip-valve, b, is arranged at the bottom of the cylinder A. Thepiston-rods are pivoted at their outer ends to brake-leversl), whichforce the brake-heads and shoes 1) against the driving-wheels, theleverage being obtained by the fulcrum-rods E, that are pivoted to thelower ends of the brake-levers,

, and connected by a sleeve or nut, d, with interior right-and-left-handscrew-threads, for the purpose of adjusting the levers C from time totime, as required, by the gradual wear of the shoes, and also forproviding for the distances between the driving and other wheels indifferent locomotives and cars. The right-and-left-hand sleeve or nut dis held in stationary position by jam-nuts d.

The brake-heads D are fulcrumed at some distance above the fulcrum-rodsto the brakelevers, and further connected to the same at their upperends by pivoted clearance-links e c. The links a e are intended for thepurpose of carrying back the brake-heads or shoes, with thebrake-levers, out of the line of'friction with the wheels when thebrakes are released.

The release of the brakes is efiected jointly by the exhaustion ofpressure in cylinder, the action of the volute springs upon the pistons,and the gravitation ot' the brake-heads.

The brake-levers O are not made straight, but with an obtuse angle, andformed by the heel or part below the fulcrum of the-brakehead with theupper part. By this means the strain of the wheels is thrown upon thetop of the axle-boxes instead of upon the sides, as is the case in allother driving brakes.

The brake mechanism may be operated either by steam, plastic fluid, orother power, by means of the cylinder and pistons or other mechanicalappliances, as I do not claim the use of a steam-cylinder for brakes.

The adj ustability of the fulcrum-rods forms a useful and importantadvantage over all -.other brakes, as thereby the adaptability of theapparatus to different heights ofvlocomotives is obtained simply byshortening or lengthening the fulcrum-rods.

The clearance-links discontinue friction simultaneously with the releaseof the brake, and avoid thereby a considerable difficulty experiencedwith the brakes incommon use.

Having thus described my'invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent In locomotive and car brakes, the combination of thebrake-levers, the fulcrumed brakeheads, and pivoted clearance-links attheir upper ends, for'the purpose set forth.

THOMAS J. SHELLHORN.

Witnesses SAMUEL ScHooH, S. J. LITTLE.

